Dear Sis.,
September 2012
"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD!" Proverbs 18:22
"I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he pleases." Song of Solomon 2:7
Alright, this post is for all of my dear sisters in Christ! When I left home on August 15, 2009 to attend college, I made the decision to wait to be found by the man that God has for me. That decision has not always been easy.....but I can say that giving God the pen to write my love story has been worth it. Because my "Boaz" has not found me yet, there are times when I'm like "God, is he out there?" lol Or, I'm like, "God, I trust you....but I need for my "Boaz" to find me NOW!" lol! But every time these thoughts/questions arise.....God will always encourage me to wait on His best and to focus on Him and Him alone! It's amazing how regardless of the situation, my perspective on life changes so much when I'm in His presence! This past summer, I was away from home and found myself on many Friday nights either watching movies or spending time with God. One Friday night, I started to study the book of Ruth and it was at that time that I decided to not be soooo focused on when "he" will come, how "it" will happen or who "he" will be.....but instead I asked God....."What should I be doing until my Boaz comes?" By reading the book of Ruth, God has revealed so much to me and now I feel led to share it all with YOU.
In Ruth 1:14-22, we are introduced to Naomi, whose husband Elimelech and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion have died. Naomi is left with her two daughters in law Ruth and Orpah. Naomi wanted to leave Moab and return to Judah and she wanted Orpah and Ruth to return to "their people and their gods," so that they would at least have a chance of getting married again. Verse 14-16 says, "And they lifted up their voice and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people and thy God my God!" So as we can see Orpah chose to go back to "her people and her god," but Ruth chose to stick with Naomi.....a decision that would change her whole life! Now let's stop here....some young women have walked or will walk in Orpah's shoes.....they have or will be led by their flesh and not by God. Now, although we don't know Orpah's fate or the rest of her story we can infer that because Orpah chose to go back to the place where she would have a better chance of getting married.....that maybe she chose the wrong man to spend her life with. Let's face it, when you are led by your flesh and not by God.....not only do you walk down the wrong path, but at times you make the wrong decisions. Choosing to walk in Orpah's shoes can mean many things; let's do a self-check to make sure that we are not allowing ourselves to be led by our flesh, emotions, or feelings! Instead, every day let's make a decision to be led by JESUS.
1. Are YOU walking in Orpah's shoes?
Are YOU walking in Orpah's shoes? You say you trust God, but you feel that God needs a little help writing your love and life story. So what do you do? You make sure that you attend all of the conferences, revivals, and church services....not because you desire more of Jesus....nope, but because you want to make sure that you "position" yourself by being at the "right place" at the "right time" so that, "that guy" can see you! Forget about being hidden in Christ and allowing your Boaz to find you. Sometimes you even attend the church with the most available, single men to increase your chances of being seen. Does this sound like you? If so, it's okay...today, let's start by making a decision that until your Boaz comes and FINDS YOU, you will NOT walk in Orpah's shoes.....you will NOT be led by your flesh, emotions, or feelings! Nope, from this day forward YOU will be like Ruth and allow God to lead you!
2. Being like Ruth: Leaving the mess and cleaving to GOD!
Until your Boaz comes and FINDS you, you should be like Ruth. You see Ruth was a Moabite....she was from Moab. Moab in Ps. 60:8 and 108:9 was called by God.....a washbasin. Usually someone rinses their dirt off in a washbasin. When Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to return back to "their people and their god," Ruth knew that she would not be able to grow closer to the God of Israel if she remained in Moab and among the Moabites. She chose to leave the washbasin and to leave the mess and the dirt that was in her past and head for Bethlehem to serve the one, true God! First things first, until your Boaz comes and FINDS YOU, you must make the decision to leave "Moab!" Moab (God's washbasin).....represents your past or current environment! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP says, "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature all together); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" No matter what your story is know that God makes all things new. Leave that mess and cleave to God! Also, my sister you must, must, must stop hanging around "Moabites," they will stunt your growth. Ps. 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Until your Boaz comes you must, must, must leave the mess of your past and cleave to God! Where He goes, you go, what He says, you say. You must not just make God part of your life, but YOU must make Him your life. You must, my sister come to the conclusion that this world has nothing for you and truly put, seek, and keep God first!
3. Being like Ruth: (Serving Jesus)
Once Ruth arrived to Bethlehem, she went right to work in the field. You see, Ruth set out to work and to serve....she was doing something! Question: "What are YOU doing?" Are you serving God and developing your relationship with Him or are you in some boy's face? Time to get focused on serving Jesus and not on when your Boaz will come, how he will come, or who he will be. FOCUS ON SERVING JESUS! Ruth 2:4-5 says, "And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered him, the Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto His servant that was set over the reapers whose damsel is this?" Let's stop here, Boaz observed Ruth.....while she was working/serving! Remember: he observes...YOU SERVE! Notice that Boaz asked who is she and who does she belong to. He did not say anything about her outward appearance! My sister, God says that you are a help meet not just arm candy....be careful when all he notices about you is your outward appearance! Now when the farmer answered he said she's been working ever since she started.....without a break! (Ruth 2:7) Hmmmm.....when others are asked about you by your Boaz what will they say? Will they say she's been serving Jesus consistently, will they say she works for God "part time" or will they say she's not even an employee? Truth is...you have not been saved all of your life...but once you became saved (and if you are not saved....once you get saved) you must begin to renew your mind with the Word of God, put and keep God first, and serve Jesus. Question #2: What will/can others say about your work ethic in the body of Christ? Always remember that YOUR life is a message to the world! Make sure it's inspiring and that it's glorifying Jesus! My sister it's time that you get busy doing the will of God! You have a gift, you have a passion, and you have a talent.......give it to Jesus and work at it wholeheartedly as unto Him and not unto man! (Colossians 3:23) After hearing these good things, Boaz approached Ruth. Ruth"happened on Boaz's field" by working and serving......not by trying to be in the right place at the right time and not by trying to be seen......but she was approached/found because she was serving Jesus wholeheartedly! Today, don't just serve Jesus to get a man.....lol! Serve Jesus because He is YOUR EVERYTHING.....serve Jesus because He died for YOU and you owe Him your life!
4. Your "Boaz" will respect and protect YOUR PURITY!
"Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn." Ruth 2:8-9 Now, this is an important point.....when your Boaz finds you....he will always respect and protect your purity! Back then working in a strangers field would get you raped....for this reason Boaz told her to stay in his field where she would be safe. Your body belongs to Jesus and your future husband ONLY! Make a commitment starting today that until your Boaz finds you and MARRIES YOU that you will honor God with YOUR body! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "You are not on your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body!" My sister, honor GOD WITH YOUR BODY and the young man that God has for YOU will not only protect and honor your purity and you....BUT HE WILL HONOR THE GOD IN YOU!
SO Ruth's decision to leave her past behind, cleave to God, and serve God wholeheartedly put her in the right place at the right time to be found by Boaz! Not only did Boaz respect, protect, and honor Ruth....but he honored God and he made Ruth his wife! (Ruth 4:13) Ruth made the decision to serve the God of Naomi, the God of her salvation, the only true God.....and by doing this she gave God the pen to write her love story. She did not try to write a chapter, a paragraph, or a sentence of the story.....but instead she loved and trusted God with all of her heart! My sister, you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God! To Him, you are a princess, you are beautiful, you are special, you are enough, you are virtuous, and most importantly....YOU ARE HIS! He has already written your love story! He knows who that special young man is and when and where you will meet him! But instead of focusing on the when, where, and who, give your full attention to the Man that wants ALL OF YOU.....JESUS! He loves you deeply and unconditionally and you are always on His mind. Develop your relationship with Him, put and keep Him first and give Him the pen! Trust Him, love Him, serve Him, walk like Him, talk like Him, think like Him, and most importantly......HONOR HIM! Be encouraged!
"I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he pleases." Song of Solomon 2:7
Alright, this post is for all of my dear sisters in Christ! When I left home on August 15, 2009 to attend college, I made the decision to wait to be found by the man that God has for me. That decision has not always been easy.....but I can say that giving God the pen to write my love story has been worth it. Because my "Boaz" has not found me yet, there are times when I'm like "God, is he out there?" lol Or, I'm like, "God, I trust you....but I need for my "Boaz" to find me NOW!" lol! But every time these thoughts/questions arise.....God will always encourage me to wait on His best and to focus on Him and Him alone! It's amazing how regardless of the situation, my perspective on life changes so much when I'm in His presence! This past summer, I was away from home and found myself on many Friday nights either watching movies or spending time with God. One Friday night, I started to study the book of Ruth and it was at that time that I decided to not be soooo focused on when "he" will come, how "it" will happen or who "he" will be.....but instead I asked God....."What should I be doing until my Boaz comes?" By reading the book of Ruth, God has revealed so much to me and now I feel led to share it all with YOU.
In Ruth 1:14-22, we are introduced to Naomi, whose husband Elimelech and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion have died. Naomi is left with her two daughters in law Ruth and Orpah. Naomi wanted to leave Moab and return to Judah and she wanted Orpah and Ruth to return to "their people and their gods," so that they would at least have a chance of getting married again. Verse 14-16 says, "And they lifted up their voice and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people and thy God my God!" So as we can see Orpah chose to go back to "her people and her god," but Ruth chose to stick with Naomi.....a decision that would change her whole life! Now let's stop here....some young women have walked or will walk in Orpah's shoes.....they have or will be led by their flesh and not by God. Now, although we don't know Orpah's fate or the rest of her story we can infer that because Orpah chose to go back to the place where she would have a better chance of getting married.....that maybe she chose the wrong man to spend her life with. Let's face it, when you are led by your flesh and not by God.....not only do you walk down the wrong path, but at times you make the wrong decisions. Choosing to walk in Orpah's shoes can mean many things; let's do a self-check to make sure that we are not allowing ourselves to be led by our flesh, emotions, or feelings! Instead, every day let's make a decision to be led by JESUS.
1. Are YOU walking in Orpah's shoes?
Are YOU walking in Orpah's shoes? You say you trust God, but you feel that God needs a little help writing your love and life story. So what do you do? You make sure that you attend all of the conferences, revivals, and church services....not because you desire more of Jesus....nope, but because you want to make sure that you "position" yourself by being at the "right place" at the "right time" so that, "that guy" can see you! Forget about being hidden in Christ and allowing your Boaz to find you. Sometimes you even attend the church with the most available, single men to increase your chances of being seen. Does this sound like you? If so, it's okay...today, let's start by making a decision that until your Boaz comes and FINDS YOU, you will NOT walk in Orpah's shoes.....you will NOT be led by your flesh, emotions, or feelings! Nope, from this day forward YOU will be like Ruth and allow God to lead you!
2. Being like Ruth: Leaving the mess and cleaving to GOD!
Until your Boaz comes and FINDS you, you should be like Ruth. You see Ruth was a Moabite....she was from Moab. Moab in Ps. 60:8 and 108:9 was called by God.....a washbasin. Usually someone rinses their dirt off in a washbasin. When Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to return back to "their people and their god," Ruth knew that she would not be able to grow closer to the God of Israel if she remained in Moab and among the Moabites. She chose to leave the washbasin and to leave the mess and the dirt that was in her past and head for Bethlehem to serve the one, true God! First things first, until your Boaz comes and FINDS YOU, you must make the decision to leave "Moab!" Moab (God's washbasin).....represents your past or current environment! 2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP says, "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature all together); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" No matter what your story is know that God makes all things new. Leave that mess and cleave to God! Also, my sister you must, must, must stop hanging around "Moabites," they will stunt your growth. Ps. 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Until your Boaz comes you must, must, must leave the mess of your past and cleave to God! Where He goes, you go, what He says, you say. You must not just make God part of your life, but YOU must make Him your life. You must, my sister come to the conclusion that this world has nothing for you and truly put, seek, and keep God first!
3. Being like Ruth: (Serving Jesus)
Once Ruth arrived to Bethlehem, she went right to work in the field. You see, Ruth set out to work and to serve....she was doing something! Question: "What are YOU doing?" Are you serving God and developing your relationship with Him or are you in some boy's face? Time to get focused on serving Jesus and not on when your Boaz will come, how he will come, or who he will be. FOCUS ON SERVING JESUS! Ruth 2:4-5 says, "And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered him, the Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto His servant that was set over the reapers whose damsel is this?" Let's stop here, Boaz observed Ruth.....while she was working/serving! Remember: he observes...YOU SERVE! Notice that Boaz asked who is she and who does she belong to. He did not say anything about her outward appearance! My sister, God says that you are a help meet not just arm candy....be careful when all he notices about you is your outward appearance! Now when the farmer answered he said she's been working ever since she started.....without a break! (Ruth 2:7) Hmmmm.....when others are asked about you by your Boaz what will they say? Will they say she's been serving Jesus consistently, will they say she works for God "part time" or will they say she's not even an employee? Truth is...you have not been saved all of your life...but once you became saved (and if you are not saved....once you get saved) you must begin to renew your mind with the Word of God, put and keep God first, and serve Jesus. Question #2: What will/can others say about your work ethic in the body of Christ? Always remember that YOUR life is a message to the world! Make sure it's inspiring and that it's glorifying Jesus! My sister it's time that you get busy doing the will of God! You have a gift, you have a passion, and you have a talent.......give it to Jesus and work at it wholeheartedly as unto Him and not unto man! (Colossians 3:23) After hearing these good things, Boaz approached Ruth. Ruth"happened on Boaz's field" by working and serving......not by trying to be in the right place at the right time and not by trying to be seen......but she was approached/found because she was serving Jesus wholeheartedly! Today, don't just serve Jesus to get a man.....lol! Serve Jesus because He is YOUR EVERYTHING.....serve Jesus because He died for YOU and you owe Him your life!
4. Your "Boaz" will respect and protect YOUR PURITY!
"Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn." Ruth 2:8-9 Now, this is an important point.....when your Boaz finds you....he will always respect and protect your purity! Back then working in a strangers field would get you raped....for this reason Boaz told her to stay in his field where she would be safe. Your body belongs to Jesus and your future husband ONLY! Make a commitment starting today that until your Boaz finds you and MARRIES YOU that you will honor God with YOUR body! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "You are not on your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body!" My sister, honor GOD WITH YOUR BODY and the young man that God has for YOU will not only protect and honor your purity and you....BUT HE WILL HONOR THE GOD IN YOU!
SO Ruth's decision to leave her past behind, cleave to God, and serve God wholeheartedly put her in the right place at the right time to be found by Boaz! Not only did Boaz respect, protect, and honor Ruth....but he honored God and he made Ruth his wife! (Ruth 4:13) Ruth made the decision to serve the God of Naomi, the God of her salvation, the only true God.....and by doing this she gave God the pen to write her love story. She did not try to write a chapter, a paragraph, or a sentence of the story.....but instead she loved and trusted God with all of her heart! My sister, you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God! To Him, you are a princess, you are beautiful, you are special, you are enough, you are virtuous, and most importantly....YOU ARE HIS! He has already written your love story! He knows who that special young man is and when and where you will meet him! But instead of focusing on the when, where, and who, give your full attention to the Man that wants ALL OF YOU.....JESUS! He loves you deeply and unconditionally and you are always on His mind. Develop your relationship with Him, put and keep Him first and give Him the pen! Trust Him, love Him, serve Him, walk like Him, talk like Him, think like Him, and most importantly......HONOR HIM! Be encouraged!
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